PM : A lot has to be done to empower panchayats

• There is a need to change mindset first
• Bureaucracy unwilling to share its powers
• States should utilise the funds in real terms
• Our goal is to achieve Gandhian ideal of Gram Swaraj
• State govts' role is important, says Deo
• We need to free panchayats from bureaucracy

Venkat Parsa

New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday made a strong pitch for an immediate change in the mindset to strengthen and empower Panchayati Raj institutions in the country, in order to realise the Gandhian ideal of Gram Swaraj. "The purpose of Panchayati Raj is decentralisation under which people get the right to run administration themselves. We have to make efforts so that this does not remain a mere slogan but turns out to be a reality in our life time. For this we will have to give responsibilities and powers to the elected representatives in real terms," he said.

Addressing a huge gathering of panchayat heads from across the country on the occasion of National Panchayati Raj Diwas in the capital, the Prime Minister said, "I frequently receive complaints that the bureaucracy of the Centre and the states still do not like to see their powers being curtailed or share their powers fully with the local bodies. There is a need to immediately change this mindset."

The Prime Minister regretted that the bureaucracy was still unwilling to share its powers with the democratically-elected local bodies. "There is still a lot to be done to give the panchayats responsibilities and powers in real terms," he said. Local governments, he said, could play a key role in development, but their success depended on various factors, including the capacity of the elected representatives and the decentralisation of power.

Singh asserted that the Centre would implement Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat Empowerment Campaign under the 12th Plan to strengthen Panchayats. " We have allotted more money this time to help the states in their initiatives to strengthen Panchayats and the budgetary support for this purpose has been increased by around 10 times at Rs 6437 crore from Rs 660 crore in the 11th Plan. I hope the state governments will use this fund thoroughly in strengthening institutions of local self-governance. It is our promise that the Central Government will provide all possible help to states so that our development process becomes more inclusive and sustainable," he said.

The Prime Minister delivered his speech in Hindi, which was hailed by a woman Panchayat representative from Lucknow, Kiran Yadav. As soon as Union Panchayat Raj Minister V Kishore Chandra Deo finished his speech in English and the Prime Minister began his address in Hindi, Kiran Yadav rose from her seat and lauded Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for speaking in Hindi. She said that most of the panchayat representatives would not be able to follow speeches in English. "When they do not understand, what will they follow," she asked.

In his address, Deo highlighted the roles of state governments in implementation of schemes to strengthen Panchayats. "We expect the state governments to take necessary steps and implement the schemes in right earnest. A state government's role is very important in this." He also focussed on the importance of Gram Sabhas for development of local self-governance. "Gram Sabhas are important for development of local self-governance till the village levels and implementation of government programmes in health, education and every sector," he said.

On schemes being run by the Central Government such as Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat Shashaktikaran Abhiyan and e-governance in panchayats, Deo said, "Backward Region Grant Fund (BRGF) is also being run to ensure development in these areas and we have achieved encouraging results." He also presented awards to the best performing Panchayats in the country.

Former Union Panchayati Raj Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar attacked the bureaucracy for poor implementation of the schemes. "The government has introduced various schemes but we need to free them from the bureaucratic process. We have not been able to achieve the desired results only because of this," Aiyar said.